After Marriott acquired the South Africa-based Protea Group, the Fire & Ice! Cape Town received a 2014 renovation and complete makeover to most of its common spaces. Glowing, glass-covered interiors with bright white walls have a medley of mismatched designer furniture that work well along with decorative wood accents to add points of interest to the almost monochrome palate. Whimsical surprises await in elevators designed like underwater shark cages and bathrooms decorated with different themes -- including one with a nude figure whose more intimate areas are covered with a small hand towel that sets off an alarm when touched. 

In the center of town, close to the Iziko South African Museum, Green Market Square, and the parliament building, the hotel is also within walking distance of several streets with active nightlife scenes. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, brimming with shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions, is less than a 10-minute drive northeast. Getting to the state park and Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is just under 10 minutes in the opposite direction, and the hotel is about 25 minutes west by car from Cape Town International Airport.

Faded hardwood floors and rich dark-wood furniture give the rooms a trendy look completed by glass chandelier lighting. Flat-screen TVs are set in gilded frames, but standard rooms may be too small to enjoy any of the hotel's funky design. Work desks are crammed into a space beneath the window and there's barely enough room to walk around the bed. Superior rooms fare better on space and include real work desks, with some units offering private patios or balconies. All rooms have open bathrooms, and though the toilets are in enclosed stalls, the glass walk-in showers are completely exposed. Laptop safes and iPod docks are standard, but mini-fridges are only in suites. 

As if forged from two opposing elements, the Fire & Ice! Cape Town has a competing mix of business and leisure facilities. There's a small spa with treatment rooms available by appointment and a spacious fitness room with treadmills, cardio bikes, and weight-training machines. The no-nonsense meeting facilities are composed of five meeting and conference rooms totaling more than 8,000 square feet of flexible space with on-site catering. The largest room is capable of accommodating 200 people.

On the flip side, the hotel has a small heated outdoor pool and terrace with views of Table Mountain beyond the city. The restaurant and bar are popular with locals, and though the regular live-music shows draw a crowd, they also make conversing over a late dinner difficult. Classic Americana and traditional African dishes share a menu consisting of burgers, milkshakes, and slow-simmered oxtail served with butter beans and marrow sauce.